Trivia & History

Past

Cardiff Gate was originally an overgrown local facility, including a Little Chef, which was receiving little attention after Granada left the industry. It was built with the Thornhill Interchange and Cardiff Gate business park in 1993, following three formal planning applications in a process starting in 1988.

In July 2007 Welcome Break bought the site for £650,000 and over a few months they brought in their facilities. The move was part of a series of gestures aimed at attracting more than the usual long-distance motorway traffic to their facilities.

Welcome Break Era

In May 2010 a Starbucks opened replacing the Eat In and Coffee Primo, making it one of the first services not to have a 'proper' restaurant.